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You can easily resize pictures, text boxes, shapes, and WordArt in your Office file. You can also remove unwanted portions of a picture by cropping it.

Before and after examples of resizing

If you want to stretch, shrink, or just change the size of a picture (or shape), use the sizing handles or for more precise control, the Size options on the Picture Tools Format tab or the Drawing Tools Format tab.

Microsoft 365 subscribers who have a touch screen may use a finger or a digital stylus to grab a sizing handle.

Click the dropdown control below for more details.

  1. Click the picture, shape, WordArt, or other object (such as a chart) that you want to resize.

  2. To increase or decrease the size in one or more directions, drag a sizing handle away from or toward the center, while doing one of the following:

    • To keep the center in the same place, press and hold Ctrl while you drag the sizing handle.

    • To maintain the proportions, press and hold Shift while you drag a corner sizing handle.

    • To both maintain the proportions and keep the center in the same place, press and hold both Ctrl and Shift while you drag a corner sizing handle.

      Shape with highlighted sizing handle

Note: Resizing a WordArt object in this way only resizes the box the WordArt is in. The actual WordArt text behaves just like any other text. If you want to resize it simply select the text you want to resize and change the font size on the Home tab of the ribbon.

  1. Click to select the picture, shape, WordArt, or other object that you want to precisely resize.

    To resize multiple objects at the same time, press and hold Ctrl while selecting each object.

  2. Depending on the type of object you've selected, do one of the following:

    • To resize a picture, on the Picture Tools Format tab, in the Size group, enter the new measurements into the Height and Width boxes.

      Height and Width boxes in the on the Picture Tools Format tab

    • To resize a shape or other object, on the Drawing Tools Format tab, in the Size group, enter the measurements you want into the Height and Width boxes.

      Height and Width boxes on the Drawing Tools Format tab

      Note: If your screen size is smaller, you might need to click the down arrow in the Size group to see the Height and Width boxes.
      The Size group is reduced on a smaller screen

If you're not able to change the height and width independently, you'll need to unlock the aspect ratio:

  1. Click the dialog box launcher Icon image in the bottom right corner of the Size group.

  2. In the format pane or dialog box that appears, clear the Lock aspect ratio check box.

  1. Click the picture, shape, WordArt, or other object that you want to resize.

    To resize multiple objects at the same time, press and hold Ctrl while selecting each object.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To resize a picture, on the Picture Tools Format tab, in the Size group, click the dialog box launcher Icon image.

      Dialog Box launcher in the Size group on the Picture Tools Format tab

    • To resize a shape or other object, on the Drawing Tools Format tab, in the Size group, click the dialog box launcher Icon image.

      Dialog box launcher in the Size group on the Drawing Tools Format tab

      Notes: 

      • If your screen size is smaller, you might need to click the down arrow in the Size group to see the dialog box launcher.

      • The Size group is reduced on a smaller screen

  3. In the format pane or dialog box that appears, do one of the following:

    • To maintain the original proportion, select the Lock aspect ration check box and enter a Scale percentage for Height or Width.

    • To resize to a different proportion, clear the Lock aspect ratio check box and enter Scale percentages for Height and Width.

See Also

If you want to stretch, shrink, or just change the size of a picture (or shape), use the sizing handles. For more precise control, you can use the Size options on the Format tab.

Quickly resize a picture, shape, WordArt, or other object

  1. Click the picture, shape, or WordArt you want to resize.

  2. To increase or decrease the size in one or more directions, drag a sizing handle away from or toward the center, while doing one of the following:

    • To keep the object's center in the same place, press and hold the OPTION key while you drag the sizing handle.

    • To maintain an object's proportions while resizing it, press and hold the Shift key while you drag a corner sizing handle.

  1. Click the picture, shape, or WordArt you want to precisely resize.

  2. Click the Picture Format or Shape Format tab, and then make sure the Lock aspect ratio check box is cleared.

    A cleared Lock Aspect Ratio box is highlighted

  3. Do one of the following:

    • To resize a picture, on the Picture Format tab, enter the measurements you want in the Height and Width boxes.

      Picture Format tab with Height and Width boxes highlighted.

    • To resize a shape or WordArt, on the Shape Format tab, enter the measurements you want in the Height and Width boxes.

      On the Shape Format tab, the Height and Width boxes are highlighted.

  1. Click the picture, shape, or WordArt you want to resize.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To resize a picture, click the Picture Format tab, click Position > More Layout Options.

      On the Picture Format tab, Position and More Layout Options are highlighted.

    • To resize a shape or WordArt, on the Shape Format tab, click Position > More Layout Options.

  3. Click the Size tab, and under Scale, make sure the Lock aspect ratio check box is clear.

    Enter percentages you want for Height and Width.

  4. Click OK when finished.

Tip: To apply the same height and width to different objects, select all objects you want to have the same dimensions, and then enter the dimensions in the Height and Width boxes. To select multiple objects, click the first object, and then press and hold SHIFT while you click the other objects.

If you want to stretch, shrink, or just change the size of a picture (or shape), use the sizing handles. On a touch screen, you may use a finger or a digital stylus to grab a handle.

For more precise control, if you have a desktop version of Excel or PowerPoint, you can use the Size options on the Picture Tools Format tab or the Drawing Tools Format tab.

Click the dropdown control below for more details.

  1. Click the picture, shape, WordArt, or other object (such as a chart) that you want to resize.

  2. To increase or decrease the size in one or more directions, drag a sizing handle away from or toward the center, while doing one of the following:

    • To keep the center in the same place, press and hold Ctrl while you drag the sizing handle.

    • To maintain the proportions, press and hold Shift while you drag a corner sizing handle.

    • To both maintain the proportions and keep the center in the same place, press and hold both Ctrl and Shift while you drag a corner sizing handle.

      Shape with highlighted sizing handle

Note: Resizing a WordArt object in this way only resizes the box the WordArt is in. The actual WordArt text behaves just like any other text. If you want to resize it simply select the text you want to resize and change the font size on the Home tab of the ribbon.

For this procedure, you must have a desktop version of Excel or PowerPoint.

  1. Click Edit in <PowerPoint or Excel>.

  2. Click the picture, shape, WordArt, or other object that you want to precisely resize.

    To resize multiple objects at the same time, press and hold Ctrl while selecting each object.

  3. Depending on the type of object you've selected, do one of the following:

    • To resize a picture, on the Picture Tools Format tab, in the Size group, enter the new measurements into the Height and Width boxes.

      Height and Width boxes in the on the Picture Tools Format tab

    • To resize a shape or other object, on the Drawing Tools Format tab, in the Size group, enter the measurements you want into the Height and Width boxes.

      Height and Width boxes on the Drawing Tools Format tab

      Note: If your screen size is smaller, you might need to click the down arrow in the Size group to see the Height and Width boxes.
      The Size group is reduced on a smaller screen

If you're not able to change the height and width independently, you'll need to unlock the aspect ratio:

  1. Click the dialog box launcher Icon image in the bottom right corner of the Size group.

  2. In the format pane or dialog box that appears, clear the Lock aspect ratio check box.

For this procedure, you must have a desktop version of Excel or PowerPoint.

  1. Click Edit in <PowerPoint or Excel>.

  2. Click the picture, shape, WordArt, or other object that you want to precisely resize.

    To resize multiple objects at the same time, press and hold Ctrl while selecting each object.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • To resize a picture, on the Picture Tools Format tab, in the Size group, click the dialog box launcher Icon image.

      Dialog Box launcher in the Size group on the Picture Tools Format tab

    • To resize a shape or other object, on the Drawing Tools Format tab, in the Size group, click the dialog box launcher Icon image.

      Dialog box launcher in the Size group on the Drawing Tools Format tab

      Notes: 

      • If your screen size is smaller, you might need to click the down arrow in the Size group to see the dialog box launcher.

      • The Size group is reduced on a smaller screen

  4. In the format pane or dialog box that appears, do one of the following:

    • To maintain the original proportion, select the Lock aspect ration check box and enter a Scale percentage for Height or Width.

    • To resize to a different proportion, clear the Lock aspect ratio check box and enter Scale percentages for Height and Width.

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